One of my biggest critiques of Assassin's Creed has been the lack of memorable protagonists with most of the games released, especially the more recent ones. The early days featured most of these  memorable characters such as Edward and Altair, but it is Ezio that still remains the most iconic of the bunch. So when Bayek came along in Origins, he instatntly won over the hearts of many Assassin's Creed fans, especially myself. Bayek's warmth and empathy contrasts with his passion and fervor which makes him THE character with the widest range of emotions in the franchise. As such, Bayek of Siwa earns his spot on my favorite characters list. Please enjoy!

-The Hooded Shadow

Altair Ib'n La Ahad was the first Assassin that we came to know and who set the standard for the prototypical Assassin. We get to see many phases of Altair's life not only in his respective game, but in "flashback" sequences during the story of Assassin's Creed Revelations; as well as other books and comics. So the "grandfather" of the Assassins ranks very highly on my list just by principal alone, that being the quintessential Assassin while showing traits of a nuanced character. Please enjoy my ranking episode of Altair!

-The Hooded Shadow

The modern Hitman games (World of Assassination trilogy) have seen major success as a constantly updated, almost "live-service" style project. Unlike traditional live-service models, which prioritize small updates or items such as weapons and skins, Hitman takes a unique approach. So in my newest "Unique Ideas" episode, I discuss what I'd like to see happen with the live-service design for Assassin's Creed and use Hitman as the inspiration. And if Assassin's Creed is going to "copy" games, I'd rather them draw inspiration from the Hitman series instead of Witcher 3. Please enjoy!

-The Hooded Shadow

Way back when, one of the most requested settings from fans was for the series to tackle Ancient Egypt and in 2017, Asassin's Creed finally delivered. Origins marked a shift in the design of the franchise and in hindsight almost serves as like a "soft reboot." As for me, from minute one to the last cutscene, I loved Origins despite it's different direction. And even though this was the moment that Assassin's Creed started down the RPG path, Origins was and still is my favorite game in the franchise. Please enjoy as I revisit Origins 8 years after its initial release!

-The Hooded Shadow

Everybody's favorite pirate and the main character of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, is one of the most memorable characters in the franchise. Also, the game has the overall best writing and best cast of characters that help elevate Edward into my Top 4. This handsome, witty, and very stubborn Welshman earns his spot on my favorite charcaters ranking list. Thanks for listening!

-The Hooded Shadow

One of my favorite things is to get info on a new Assassin's Creed game that is in development (sometimes more than playing the game itself) and boy did we just get a bombshell dropped on us by Stephen Totilo and additional information from Insider Gaming that talks of a now cancelled game set in the "Reconstruction Era" post-American Civil War. It sounded very interesting too...In this episode, I have a discussion about it and speak on some rumors about the premise of the game, why it was canceled, and how it may have been a cool idea on paper, but is probably smart that it got canceled. Please enjoy!

- The Hooded Shadow

The young, charismatic protagonist of Assassin's Creed Unity has a strange relationship with me. On one hand, I don't like Arno's naivete and the fact that he blindly follows the woman he loves at the expense of being a dedicated Assassin but his performance and aura is incredible, and is probably the best in the series for any main character. So please enjoy my ranking of Arno Dorian.

-The Hooded Shadow

Remember when Assassin's Creed was one of the top of the line, needle moving, franchises that when a new game was announced, it took its place as one of the most hyped games of that particualr year? Well, Assassin's Creed doesn't feel like that anymore as they have released another huge title with a setting that was requested for a decade and nobody really talked about it in the general gaming discourse after a week or two. So, in this episode, I break down in many ways why the franchise has lost its shine and what it would take to reclaim its status as a a tent-pole franchise. Please enjoy!

- The Hooded Shadow

Can you believe it's been 10 years since Syndicate released!?! Anyway, the Victorian Era set entry has seen its fair share of praise and criticism over that span of time. I very much have a like/hate relationship with this game that constantly affects where I put it on my rankings list. So, lets revisit Syndicate one last time. Thanks for listening!

When we first saw the Crossover stories for Valhalla in late 2021, it sparked a passionate discourse on other characters appearing together. But this is not a new concept as we've seen ideas and fan fiction about this as far back as 2014. So, for the next entry in the "Unique Ideas" series, I thought I would add my two cents on other crossovers that I would like to see. Please enjoy!

- The Hooded Shadow